Seattle Boating Opening Day in Jeopardy?

Seattle is a city surrounded by water - both the Puget Sound and Lake Washington - that enjoys a year-round boating season. This doesn't stop them from celebrating "Opening Day" of Boating Season. This is really more of a Bring-Out-Your-Boats-Day, since boating season doesn't close, but it is a main event, nonetheless. This year, opening day of boating season is Saturday May 5^th, 2007.

However, Opening Day may be in jeopardy. A major bridge, University Street Bridge, has been declared closed until further notice. A 24-inch water main has broken, and thousands of gallons of water are pouring into the Ship Canal under the west side of the south approach to the bridge. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, says the bridge, which was built in 1919, will remain closed until it is determined to be safe. There are concerns about a natural gas line that is in the sinkhole.

Two parked cars were swept into a sinkhole after a water main break under Seattle's University Bridge. Traffic is being diverted to side streets and at least one side street is closed. Buses are being rerouted. This may also cause some inconvience to boaters. The University Bridge spans Portage Bay, linking the University District with the Eastlake and Capitol Hill communities. It is the second of the four Lake Washington Ship Canal Bridges.

Seattle has several movable draw bridges, and a swing bridge, to allow boating traffic to get around near the city. These are the Mountlake Bridge, Ballard Bridge, Fremont Bridge and University Bridge. There is also a movable bridge called the Spokane Street Bridge, which is a swing bridge.

Typically for boating season, with it's celebrations and frequent traffice, these bridges will open frequently, delaying traffic up to 15 minutes each opening, to allow boats to pass back through the canal. The most boat traffic, and consequently motorist delays, will be at the Montlake Bridge, University Bridge and Fremont Bridge. The Seattle Yacht Club plans a celebration each year, including a parade (of boats). This year's theme is musical memories. Opening Day Parade activities begin at the Seattle Yacht Club before sunrise and end late Saturday evening, May 5, 2007. The Boat Parade itself begins at noon in Portage Bay at the West end of the Montlake Cut and ends at approximately 1500 h at Webster Point. For more information, go to the Seattle Yacht Club (SYC) website at http://www.seattleyachtclub.org/OpeningDay

If the University Bridge is not operational, it cannot be opened for larger boat traffic.